Poll on Backup software

Bree · Sep 11, 2022

TechnoMage2021 said:
The IBM Full Height floppy disk drives were a real hoot to work on. They also made great Door Stops!

I still have a full height IBM hard drive (a whole 10MB) - now that is a really solid and heavy Door Stop !!!

TraderGary · Sep 11, 2022

Bree said:
I still have a full height IBM hard drive (a whole 10MB) - now that is a really solid and heavy Door Stop !!!

Been there, done that! My first PC was the original IBM PC in 1981. I had it configured with 2 floppy drives and it cost close to $5,000 USD. I added a 40 MB DaVong Hard Drive a couple of years later for a cost of $5,000! That's 40 Megabytes, not Gigabytes!

Anibor_11 · Sep 11, 2022

TraderGary said:
When I do a clean install, I'm up and running in less than an hour. Period. I've done it many dozens of times.

The problems with this approach are that it´s software-dependent, and that a clean install can become a real nightmare. Besides that, an image of the system (without data) can be restored in less than 5 min.

TraderGary · Sep 11, 2022

Anibor_11 said:
The problems with this approach are that it´s software-dependent, and that a clean install can become a real nightmare. Besides that, an image of the system (without data) can be restored in less than 5 min.

I don't have a single approach. My backup system:
1. All data and photos on local OneDrive and mirrored real-time in cloud OneDrive.
2. Nightly Microsoft File History backups on 2TB Samsung T7 SSD's.
3. Periodic Macrium Reflect images.

Wynona · Sep 11, 2022

LastPass has recently been hacked. They said nothing was compromised . . . Still scary.

TraderGary · Sep 11, 2022

Wynona said:
LastPass has recently been hacked. They said nothing was compromised . . . Still scary.

There's really nothing to fear if you understand how LastPass works.

The media and web sites love to sensationalize.

Bree · Sep 11, 2022

TraderGary said:
When I do a clean install, I'm up and running in less than an hour. Period. I've done it many dozens of times.

Problem is for my System One (and a couple of my others) that there are a few OEM pre-installed apps (such as Office Starter 2010) that cannot be reinstalled. If I want to keep them I have to be a 'serial upgrader'.

For my other machines that I did clean installed when I first got them, the initial install and configuration took a few hours, but was followed by weeks of minor tweaks to get everything just how I liked it. Those too will get no more clean installs if I can help it, just upgrade from now on.

Of my two Windows 11 supported devices, my Dell Latitude 5410 had a clean install of 11, my System One has a long and distinguished upgrade history dating back to it's Win7 origins. I really can't tell them apart as far as the 'cleanliness' of their install is concerned.

Wynona · Sep 11, 2022

Anibor_11 said:
The problems with this approach are that it´s software-dependent, and that a clean install can become a real nightmare. Besides that, an image of the system (without data) can be restored in less than 5 min.

I've never found a clean install to be a nightmare. I don't clean install unless I find it absolutely necessary, though.

TraderGary said:
There's really nothing to fear if you understand how LastPass works.

The media and web sites love to sensationalize.

I tried it once, and didn't like it. I even tried Firefox password feature, and found that too hard to use. I just make my own passwords and keep them in a "coded" address book.

TraderGary · Sep 11, 2022

Bree said:
Problem is for my System One (and a couple of my others) that there are a few OEM pre-installed apps (such as Office Starter 2010) that cannot be reinstalled. If I want to keep them I have to be a 'serial upgrader'.

For my other machines that I did clean installed when I first got them, the initial install and configuration took a few hours, but was followed by weeks of minor tweaks to get everything just how I liked it. Those too will get no more clean installs if I can help it, just upgrade from now on.

Of my two Windows 11 supported devices, my Dell Latitude 5410 had a clean install of 11, my System One has a long and distinguished upgrade history dating back to it's Win7 origins. I really can't tell them apart as far as the 'cleanliness' of their install is concerned.

That's great! There's nothing wrong with how you like to do things, just as there's nothing wrong with how I do things. :wink:

TraderGary · Sep 11, 2022

Wynona said:
I've never found a clean install to be a nightmare. I don't clean install unless I find it absolutely necessary, though.

I tried it once, and didn't like it. I even tried Firefox password feature, and found that too hard to use. I just make my own passwords and keep them in a "coded" address book.

I've used LastPass for over 10 years and I like it. For me it works very smoothly, and I trust the way it works.

Wynona · Sep 11, 2022

TraderGary said:
That's great! There's nothing wrong with how you like to do things, just as there's nothing wrong with how I do things.

Exactly . . . the number one reason for backing up is so you will not lose your important data, pictures, and videos.

bjproc · Sep 26, 2022

long thread to read...

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TechnoMage2021 · Oct 7, 2022

Edwin said:
I boot up my computer in the morning and hope to hell everything is where I left it!!!

OH, me too! But then, don't we all?
And, if not, I've always got my Ghost backups close by and ready for a Quick Restore.

I had to use my Ghost Restore about a week ago, when something scrambled my email backup files. The quick fix was to just do a Ghost Restore, back a few days. I try to do a Ghost Backup at least twice a week.

Cheers Mates!
TM

Bob1212 · Nov 11, 2022

I've only used Macrium, so I have no other experience with backup software to compare it with. But it is the most impeccable software for Windows that I've ever used. If only Windows itself was as impeccable.

Bree · Nov 11, 2022

Bob1212 said:
I've only used Macrium, so I have no other experience with backup software to compare it with.

Before Macrium I used Microsoft's System Image Backup extensively, 'Backup & Restore (Windows 7) - create a system image'.

Believe me, you cannot find a less configurable or more temperamental/unreliable backup that that!

GCG1000 · Nov 11, 2022

Bob1212 said:
I've only used Macrium, so I have no other experience with backup software to compare it with. But it is the most impeccable software for Windows that I've ever used. If only Windows itself was as impeccable.

I use Reflect and agree that it's "impeccable". Additionally, I also use AOMEI which has proven to also be impeccable. Actually, AOMEI's restore has proven to be faster and easier to use (for me) than Reflect. I have both Reflect and AOMEI setup as boot manager options. I also think that this particular "poll" is like beating a dead horse! Use the Backup/Restore app that works for you. All of the products mentioned here work!

Bob1212 · Nov 11, 2022

GCG1000 said:
I also use AOMEI which has proven to also be impeccable.

Ha, I see it's free... so I'll try it some day soon. Can you recommend something for Android? I almost had to send my phone back, so now I'll get serious about Android backups.

GCG1000 · Nov 11, 2022

Bob1212 said:
Ha, I see it's free... so I'll try it some day soon. Can you recommend something for Android? I almost had to send my phone back, so now I'll get serious about Android backups.

I'm sorry but I can't. I don't use android enough to worry about backups. However, you may something helpful at: 10 best Android backup apps and other ways to backup Android

Good Luck.

TraderGary · Nov 11, 2022

OneDrive on my Android phone keeps all my phone photos backed up to cloud OneDrive. My Android apps will be restored by the Android Play Store when I get a new Android phone. I have never had a need to back up my Android phone.